ITB Berlin News spoke with Mr Dario Flota, Minister of Tourism of the State of Yucatán, Mexico to find out why travellers are so drawn to the rich Mayan heritage and history of the Yucatán Peninsula
Mr Flota outlined the destination’s safety, rich cultural heritage and wide range of attractions for travellers from around the world.
What makes the tourism experience in Yucatán unique?
The unique geographic conditions of the Yucatán Peninsula make it special. We have a lot of underground rivers that creates natural formations known as “cenotes”, where visitors can swim, dive and cool off. The traditional food of Yucatán is also one of the most important things people recognise, plus all the archaeological sites such as Chichen Itza and Uxmal. This combination makes Yucatan unique. When we interview visitors, the one word they use to describe Yucatan is “unmissable”.
What are the priorities of visitors who come to Yucatan and how are you adapting your tourism offering to meet traveller expectations?
Besides the history and culture, the state is very peaceful and recognised as the safest destination in Mexico. That’s important for travellers who are amazed at the tranquility and friendly people. It’s a culturally rich state and traditions are important.
Yucatán has a lot of attractions, but we’re working on training and preparing people who are in contact with visitors. We want people working in hospitality to be able to inform and connect with visitors to make them feel welcome so they enjoy their stay.
What are some of the main tourism segments you are highlighting at ITB Berlin this year?
Definitely the history and culture of the Yucatan Peninsula. Due to the longer vacations of Europeans visiting the area, they have time to tour around the peninsula and combine the beaches of the Mexican Caribbean with visits to colonial cities such as Merida, the capital, and all the archaeological sites. Yucatán is most known for its Mayan heritage and I think that’s what most people are looking for when visiting. Travellers can explore and discover the different stages of this civilisation that developed astronomy and mathematics and see the buildings they left behind.
What is Yucatán’s most important travel market and what markets are you looking to further develop?
The most important market is actually the domestic market, with many Mexicans visiting Yucatán. This is followed by Canada and the United States. We want to further develop the market from Europe. We recognise ITB Berlin as the main event for this region so it’s the place to connect with tour operators from Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and other European countries.
What are your goals at ITB Berlin this year?
Our goal is to reach out to travel operators and convince travellers to plan more days visiting Yucatán and all it has to offer. There are so many experiences and we want people to have enough time to see all of them. The connectivity to Europe through Mexico City or Cancún is also great.
